Once upon a time, there was a 350cc two-stroke that prowled our streets. It was wicked nd unforgiving, but the thrill of riding it was second to none. It arrived on the wings of two-stroke twin thunder, shocked an unprepared motorcycling population half to death and before anyone could get their breath back, it was gone in a trailing cloud of blue smoke. The Yamaha RD350 was a 24-carat, solid gold milestone in our motorcycle history.
The argument about what RD really stands for is endless. What was already crystal clear was how potent the machine was and how much thrill Yamaha had packed into the cylinders. Branded Rajdoot, it was introduced in 1983 when the only other motorcycles around were ageing Yezdis and the Bullet. Some say the RD was before its time. Other argue that the RD was simply too wild. We’re just thankful that, anachronism or mistake, the RD happened. That its cult took root here. There’s no way such a disproportionately insane machine would make production in India today. No one will have the sheer nerve!
The RD350 HT (high torque) was introduced with a demonic 30 horses under its belt. A big leap forward for us, and yet, 9 horses behind its closest cousins in the US. The RD didn’t go down well; it couldn’t. Its unspeakable fuel economy was probably the biggest factor. The shrewd people in white coats decided that taming the beast to 27 bhp would make it more acceptable. Out came the RD350 LT (low torque) in 1985. It wasn’t much more of a success either, though it did cement the stalwart status that HT’s now occupy in RD fan circles. After a few years of flagging sales, Rajdoot’s flagship meekly turned around and left our shores for good.
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